


Strength that Lies in Fragile Hearts

by teddiehtet



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M, Some angst, YOI shit bang
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-31
Updated: 2017-08-31
Packaged: 2018-12-22 02:06:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,186
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11957445
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/teddiehtet/pseuds/teddiehtet
Summary: In a world where creatures called wraiths prey on people with fragile hearts and minds, it means certain death once you’re targeted. The wraiths would trap them in a different dimension, one that no one else can enter, and feed off of peoples’ fear and insecurities. To amend this problem, a group of researchers, led by the one of the most powerful ex-mafia leaders, Victor Nikiforov, attempted to create specialized humans- humans who can cross over to the wraiths’ world and have the power to eliminate these creatures as well as save and bring back the victims.“Victor…” Mila hesitantly called out. “You know that trying to go through with this project isn’t going to bring Yuuri or Yura back.”“You’re right,” Victor slowly turned to face Mila, with a strong, determined look in his eyes. “But I can try to save others victims this way.”“Don’t think I don’t know what you’re trying to do,” Mila challenged. “You want to make these so called ‘weapons’ look like—““Then you should know, Mila,” Victor interrupted, his voice getting dangerously low. “That once I decide on something, there’s nothing that can stop me.” Victor then simply walked away, leaving the red-head petrified and at a loss for words.





	Strength that Lies in Fragile Hearts

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Kashoku](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kashoku/gifts).



> This is my piece for the YOI shit bang! I had the honor of working with @kashoku-sinpai on tumblr (or Kashoku on AO3), and I've attached her loverly artwork in this fic! (She's a great author too!!) Please take a look at her art pieces for this bang as well! Thank you so much for drawing a piece for my fic, as well as organizing the bang! You’re awesome!!  
> 

“Mr. Nikiforov, 01 is not an optimal subject. He is our first, and worst attempt, and I don’t think it will be wise to use him—“

“But he lived. None of the other subjects were able to stay alive until the end except him, and of course, 03.” Victor Nikiforov turned his icy blue eyes at the scientist, who was now gripping his clipboard in fear. “Now, to avoid any more unnecessary deaths and wasted resources, this **will** be the end of the project, and we **will** keep 01 and 03. Is that clear?”

The scientist’s grip on his clipboard tightened as he forced down a gulp. “Y-Yes sir. As you wish.”

Once the scientist scrambled away Victor turned his attention to the two unconscious bodies, each lying down inside a capsule-like bed. He strode up between them and ran his fingers along the glass of one of the closed capsule until his fingers rested on the small screen that contained the subject’s name.

_Subject 01- Yuuri Katsuki_

Victor’s eyes also ran along the nameplate of the second capsule.

_Subject 03- Yuri Plisetsky_

The man kneeled down between the capsules and placed his hand on the glass of Subject 01’s capsule, right above the subject’s face. He caressed the glass as if it was the person’s face and a ghost of a smile appeared on his lips.

“It’s been so long. I can finally be with you again, my Yuuri.”

Unlike most of the nights he’s had, Victor thought he would be blessed again with dreams filled with his love, his precious Yuuri. The silver haired ex-mafia boss went to sleep, looking forward to dreams of times past; the times when he had actually tasted the sweet euphoria of love and happiness, despite being in constant pressing situations due to his role as the young boss of the Nikiforov mafia family.

Unfortunately for Victor, his mind was not yet ready to let go of the tragedy that struck him and his family a few years ago.

* * *

_“Damn it…Victor! There must have been a mole among us.”_

_Victor’s younger, and closest cousin, Yuri Plisetsky, whispered as he gripped his bloody arm in a poor attempt to stop the bleeding. The two young men then swiftly dove behind a wall as bullets flew around them. Yuri pulled out a handkerchief he received as a gift from one of allies and close friend from Kazakhstan. With trained hands, he quickly tied the green handkerchief around his arm, trying to put a temporary stop to the bleeding. Yuri took care not to grunt in pain so that the echoes of his voice in the abandoned warehouse wouldn’t attract their enemies’ attention._

_Victor pulled Yuri close to him and spoke, “Yura, I’m going to try and distract them. When I give you the signal, you run as fast as you can, okay? Contact Mila, Georgi, or Yakov as soon as possible and—“_

_“No way! I’m staying and fighting with you and the others here, Victor. I’m not gonna run away like some coward,” Yuri argued fervently. “I know that by ‘distraction’ you actually mean ‘sacrifice’, old man, and I’m also not going to let you die here. You and I both have a promise to Katsudon. We’re going back alive.”_

_Victor stared at Yuri in awe and surprise for a few seconds and broke into strained laughter._

_“Oi! Now’s not the time to be laughing!”_

_“Oh, Yura. I never expected you to care about me or Yuuri this much. I guess I was right in guessing that you do have a tiny crush on him,” Victor teased. Before Yuri could retort, Victor continued, “Well, thank you for your pep talk, Yura. I swear, I will get both of us out alive.”_

_Yuri’s neutral smile turned into a smirk. “Hmph, if you die here you know Katsudon’s never gonna forgive you.”_

_With that, Victor quickly sent out an emergency signal from his phone to his other trusted members, and then on Victor’s signal, the two young men rushed out. With trained speed and accuracy, they whipped out their pistols, ran, and shot at incoming enemies as they also dove behind objects for cover. Victor and Yuri were also hit by a few shots, but with their skill and determination, both men managed to stay alive. Victor and Yuri knew reinforcements would arrive soon, and that their enemies were starting to become agitated._

_“With those shitty shooting skills I wonder how they even managed to survive in the business this long,” Yuri mocked. “They outnumber us and can’t even take us out. We can get out of here easily, Victor.”_

_Victor held up one hand and pressed the index finger of his other hand to his lips, signaling Yuri to be quiet. The gunshots had died down and the warehouse had become eerily silent. Victor was just about to check the situation when all of a sudden, multiple screams pierced the silence._

_“Wh-What’s going on—?” Yuri asked, suddenly on high alert again._

_“Wraiths,” Victor said. “Wraiths are taking some of the enemies.”_

_“Well that’s great for us!” Yuri cheered. “Let’s make a run for it while they’re distracted by the wraiths.”_

_“Yura don’t--!”_

_Before Victor could stop Yuri, the young blond had already rushed out, abandoning the only cover they had for a while. Victor clicked his tongue in frustration, and also ran out, following Yuri, knowing that even though the some of the enemies are distracted, they’re still a target for the wandering wraiths._

_“Yura, listen to me!” Victor attempted to call out. “You can’t just run out like this—“_

_“Well we’re successful so far,” Yuri countered._

_Out of the corner of his eye, Victor saw the glint of a gun, then heard a shot almost instantly. He tackled Yuri to the ground and hovered over him. Swiftly, Victor pulled out his pistol and shot a couple of rounds at the person who attempted to shoot Yuri. Just when Victor thought they were safe for one second, Yuri pushed him off and to the side._

_A surprised Victor coughed as he pushed himself back up. “Yurio, what was—“_

_Wordlessly, Yuri grabbed Victor’s wrist and started running. “A wraith was about to take you, you idiot! If I didn’t push you off of me, it could’ve grabbed you.”_

_“Thank you, Yurio,” Victor sincerely thanked._

_“Stop calling me Yurio,” Yuri snapped._

_Victor chuckled. “Oh yes, my mistake. You only let Yuuri call you that nickname.”_

_A pink blush dusted over Yuri’s cheeks. “Argh, shut up, old man! We’re in a life or death situation here!”_

_They were so close…so close to the exit. Their enemies were now solely occupied by the wraiths around them. If they kept running without looking back, maybe both of them could have made it…maybe both of them could have lived. But fate wasn’t that nice of a force._

_Yuri turned his head to see if anyone was chasing them, but what he saw wasn’t human. Using all of strength he had in his slender body, Yuri powered forward and, gripping Victor’s wrist with his other hand as well, threw the older man out the door. Yuri then shut and locked the door in Victor’s face._

_“Yura! What are you doing?!” Victor frantically yelled._

_“Saving your ass!” Yuri retaliated. “I’m keeping our enemies in here and buying you time to run. There’s a wraith right behind me and…I don’t really wanna turn around.”_

_“Yura, you hypocrite! You just told me not to sacrifice myself!”_

_“Look old man, at this point, it’s either I die, or both of us die!”_

_“If we kept running both of us could have lived!”_

_“The wraith behind us would’ve grabbed us both if we kept running! Now go, Victor!”_

_“Yura!!”_

_“If you died here, what will the rest of us tell katsudon? Go, Victor, don’t make me think doing this was for nothing.”_

_“Yuuri wouldn’t be happy if you sacrificed yourself either! You’re important to him too!”_

_“Heh…that’s good to hear, but…it’s too late.”_

_“I know you have feelings for Yuuri too, Yura. Are you satisfied at just leaving your feelings unresolved?!”_

_“I don’t care, Victor! All I care about right now is that you get your ass back home and make sure everyone else in the family is okay!” Yuri was losing even more of his patience now. “Please, Victor…go.”_

_“Yura? Yura!” No matter how much Victor called Yuri’s name, no matter how many times he pounded on the door, he didn’t receive an answer._

* * *

  _…_

_“Victor…I knew you’d be wandering around here,” Yuuri commented with a soft smile as he walked up to Victor, who was leaning against the railing of a bridge in a park. Yuuri cupped Victor’s face with both of his hands and gently turned Victor’s face to him. Using his thumbs, Yuuri wiped away a couple of drops of water- the result of melted snowflakes._

_“Yuuri…” An exhausted Victor whispered Yuuri’s name as if Yuuri was his only salvation. “I’m sorry. I must have made you worry.”_

_Yuuri shook his head. “No, Victor, I understand you’re still grieving. It’s been a week since…that incident, and I know you’re blaming yourself for everything. But Victor, you couldn’t have done anything about those wraiths. No one could have.”_

_“But Yurio…Yura…I could have saved him if I saw the wraiths sooner…Why were the wraiths even there…I thought they were supposed to go after people who are tired of living…people with low self-esteem. Why…Why did they have to target us?” Victor’s voice trailed off as he ended his sentence with a trembling sigh; a defeated sigh that hurt Yuuri’s heart._

_Yuuri circled his arms around Victor’s torso and let his hand rest on the back of Victor’s head. The young Japanese man lovingly combed his fingers through Victor’s hair, giving the older man a sense of comfort. Yuuri’s warmth was a haven for Victor, one that protected him not only from the cold wind of winter, but also from the burden of his cousin’s and mafia members’ deaths, that weighed upon his heart and mind. Yuuri wordlessly continued running his fingers through Victor’s hair as he brought Victor’s head closer to him, and let his head rest in the crook between Yuuri’s head and shoulder._

_“You’re not alone,” Yuuri finally spoke. “You’re never alone, Victor. Even if Yurio’s gone, there’s still Mila, Georgi, Yakov, and of course, me. We’re always here for you Victor. And if…if one of us meets an end too, the others will still be there.”_

_“Yuuri, my love, my sun, please, don’t ever speak of your death,” Victor pleaded, his voice slightly muffled. His arms slowly encircled Yuuri’s waist, bringing the pair even closer. “If...if you disappeared too, I…I…”_

_As Victor struggled to finish, Yuuri shushed him gently. “It’s okay Victor. It’ll be okay. I work on the frontlines at times too, so of course, there are risks, and honestly, I get scared. But what I’m scared of, Victor, is disappointing you. What if I mess up so badly that it costs us more lives? What if it costs us your life? I…I couldn’t bear to think of it, Victor. I would rather lose my life than put yours at risk—“_

_“Yuuri!” Victor yelled as he gripped Yuuri’s shoulders and pushed himself away. The older man looked at Yuuri straight in his eyes. He didn’t notice it at first, but there were tears collecting at the corners of Yuuri’s eyes, threatening to drop at any second. “I don’t want to lose anyone ever again. Please Yuuri, don’t speak of risking your life for mine. I want to us to be together, my love. Even if our jobs can get dangerous, I…I still wish for a future with you in it, Yuuri.” Now Victor himself was starting to feel the sting of oncoming tears._

_Yuuri sniffled and, after lifting his glasses, used the back of his hand to wipe away his own tears. “I want us to have a future together too, Victor. I want to live together with you, with Mila, Georgi, Yakov and…Yurio… I really wanted to be accepted as part of your family.”_

_“You are a part of my family,” Victor reassured with a soft voice. “You may not have noticed, but Yura really respected you. He may have hurled a lot of insults at you, but…he really did respect you. There’s no doubt that Mila, Georgi, and Yakov all already accept you as part of our family as well. You are not just someone I brought in for fun, Yuuri. You are a talented fighter, and everyone knows it. Before you, I truly did not care for human lives. Anyone who went against my family deserved death. But then you came into my life like a storm, my Yuuri.” Victor slid his hands down Yuuri’s arms and took hold of his hands. “When I first saw you come to our help, I thought you were the most beautiful man alive. Your movements were so fluid, so elegant, that you had me mesmerized from the beginning. Then, as I got to know you better, you were so much more than the talented fighter I saw. Your nervous nature, your fierceness on the battlefield, your heart of gold…I learned to love them all. You, Yuuri, are the best thing that ever happened to me.” At this point a beautiful pink flush colored Yuuri’s cheeks, and Victor knew it wasn’t just from the cold. Victor brought Yuuri’s hands up to his lips and kissed them. “I love you so much.”_

_“V-Victor…um, I…I love you too, with all my heart,” Yuuri shyly replied. Yuuri then quickly pecked Victor on his lips, but Victor pulled Yuuri back to share a much deeper kiss than the one Yuuri intended. Once they parted, Yuuri cleared his throat and suggested, “Let’s go back home, Victor. It’s getting really cold out here.”_

_Victor chuckled. “It is, isn’t it? Let’s go home.”_

_To Victor, the next few moments passed by in slow motion. Right before he was about to turn and walk, he saw Yuuri’s eyes widen and felt chills shoot up his spine. He knew this feeling; he felt it before, when he was with Yurio in the warehouse._

_‘No, no, no, why… why here, why now?’ Victor wasn’t…couldn’t say anything, but he was mentally screaming._

_Yuuri, poor, lovable Yuuri, with his unpredictable strength and speed, shoved Victor to the side, sending the taller man tumbling. Victor quickly raised his head and turned in Yuuri’s direction. His blue eyes widened. His worst fear was coming true right in front of his eyes and he couldn’t do anything to stop it. As fast as he could, Victor pushed himself up and ran. He reached out as far as he could, hoping to grab a part of Yuuri, hoping to save him._

_Yuuri, who was carried on the shadowy wraith’s shoulder, lifted his head. “Victor,” he whispered, as he too held out his hand. Yuuri could see the desperation in Victor’s eyes. Tears were now streaming down the older man’s cheeks. Yuuri too felt his eyes sting with oncoming tears. He knew neither he nor Victor could do anything. Once someone is targeted and taken by a wraith, that’s the end. There’s no way for a normal person to break into the wraith’s world and both of them knew it._

_“Victor, I’m sorry,” Yuuri apologized. The area around him was already starting to distort, as the wraith prepared to cross over to its dimension._

_“No… Yuuri…YUURI!” No matter how much Victor cried or screamed, there was no saving Yuuri. The worst part was that Victor knew he was powerless._

_Victor still had his hand stretched out, but Yuuri brought his back in. The younger man instead opted to take his ring off his right ring finger and, just before disappearing, tossed it into Victor’s outstretched hand. “I love you, Victor. I’m sorry I can’t be there for you. I’m glad…that I managed to save you from this. Please, live on Victor. Live…” With a gentle smile, Yuuri said his goodbye as the air around him and the wraith distorted even further and with the blink of an eye, they were out of sight._

_Victor’s run slowed to a walk once Yuuri disappeared. He fell to his knees, still panting heavily not from being out of breath, but from frustration. Victor brought his hand up opened his palm, greeted by the sight of Yuuri’s wedding ring. He curled his fingers around the ring once more and raised both hands to his temple, tears still streaming as he released an unsteady sigh._

_…_

_“Ha…So it ends like this…” Victor murmured, clearly defeated. He tightened his fists and with an enraged cry, punched the gravel underneath him. Unsatisfied with the pain, he kept punching, each punch accompanied by a frustrated yell. Even when his knuckles kept bleeding, the man wouldn’t stop. Only when he had gotten tired of yelling did he sit down on his behind and mourned further._

_‘Yuuri wanted me to live, hm?’ Victor thought as he recalled Yuuri’s goodbye. ‘How do you expect me to live when you brought meaning to my life, my Yuuri?’_

_Victor didn’t know how long he sat in the park. It may have been some minutes, maybe even hours. He didn’t even respond when his phone started ringing. After he let multiple calls go ignored, his phone went silent._

_“Victor! There you are!”_

_A woman’s voice, Mila’s, called out to Victor. She rushed to his side, kneeled down and quickly checked for any injuries. “You’re not physically hurt, but you look like crap. I was trying to call you this whole time. What happened?” She looked around the park, searching for one more person. “Where’s Yuuri?”_

_Victor’s head tilted up a little at the mention of Yuuri’s name. “Yuuri…he…he’s gone.”_

_“What do you mean? Did he get kidnapped?” Mila urgently asked._

_Victor weakly shook his head. “No…a wraith.”_

_“No…” Mila whispered. “Not Yuuri too.”_

_“I was the one the wraith was after,” Victor spoke. “I’m sure it was targeting me, but Yuuri…Yuuri pushed me out of the way and let it take him.”_

_“Victor, you must be hurting so much right now, but we need to get you home,” Mila reasoned. “Staying out here might attract more of them. You can tell us everything back home.”_

_Victor went quiet and agreed with a nod. Mila stood up and offered her hand to help Victor up. The man slid Yuuri’s ring in his shirt pocket and took Mila’s hand._

* * *

_…_

_…_

_…_

_“Hello Chris,” Victor greeted over the phone._

_“Victor, how are you my friend?” Christophe asked. “It’s been a couple of weeks.”_

_“I know. I’m…hanging in there,” Victor replied. “I’ve also been doing some thinking. Chris, what do you think of humans who can enter wraiths’ worlds? Humans who can chase after wraiths and save others that have been kidnapped by those creatures?”_

_“You know no human can do that,” Chris said._

_“What if we used your research facility?” Victor suggested._

_Chris’s mood soured. “Victor, if you’re thinking of using live human subjects…”_

_“I’m thinking of creating a whole new person, Chris. Think of them as…weapons,” Victor explained. “I think I have the necessary DNA. An object that a person has had for a while would be sufficient wouldn’t it?”_

_“Victor…are you…”_

_“Will you help me with this, old friend?”_

_Chris heaved a heavy sigh. He knew there was no talking Victor out of this. “I will, but remember Victor, creating a new loved one isn’t going to help you move on.”_

_…_

_…_

_…_

_“Victor…” Mila hesitantly called out. “You know that trying to go through with this project isn’t going to bring Yuuri or Yura back.”_

_“You’re right,” Victor slowly turned to face Mila, with a strong, determined look in his eyes. “But I can try to save other victims this way.”_

_“Don’t think I don’t know what you’re trying to do,” Mila challenged. “You want to make these so called ‘weapons’ look like—“_

_“Then you should know, Mila,” Victor interrupted, his voice getting dangerously low. “That once I decide on something, there’s nothing that can stop me.” Victor then simply walked away, leaving the red-head petrified and at a loss for words._

* * *

 Victor gasped sharply as his eye flew open and was thrown back into the real world. His breaths kept getting heavier, as he recalled his nightmare. Victor tried to calm himself by taking and releasing deep breaths.

‘How long will these dreams keep haunting me?’

Victor refused to contemplate further on the dreams, and instead, started to get ready. Today was the day he would see his husband and cousin again, and he wasn’t going to let the past chain him down.

* * *

 “Subject 01 and 03 are ready, sir.”

“Excellent. Let me see them.”

The researcher nodded and led Victor to the room that contained the two subjects’ capsules. When Victor stepped in the room, he was greeted with not with the sight of two sleeping young men trapped in capsules, but of his love, Yuuri, and cousin Yuri, standing side by side, drinking in their surroundings. Victor waved to the scientist, signaling him to leave.

Once the scientist had walked out, Victor’s stoic expression melted to one of happiness and relief. “Yuuri…Yura…you’re both back…”

Both the black haired man and blond cocked their heads in confusion. “Um, are you our master?” Subject 01, also known as Yuuri Katsuki, questioned.

“Hmm, you look old,” Subject 03, Yuri Plisetsky, commented.

Subject 01 turned to Subject 03 with a panicked look, concerned that it would have made Victor angry. Instead, Victor responded with a chuckle.

“Oh Yura, you may not have any memories but you sure have the same personality,” Victor pointed out. The name ‘Yura’ earned Victor a puzzled look from Subject 03, so he continued, “Subject 01 and Subject 03, your names are Yuuri Katsuki and Yuri Plisetsky. My name is Victor Nikiforov, your relative.”

“Why do I have to share a name with this pig?” Yuri insulted while pointing his thumb at Yuuri. “And we’re relatives? I’m related to you? Blood related?”

“Haha, yes. I’m Yuuri’s husband, and your cousin, Yurio,” Victor replied.

“Wha- How did I suddenly turn into ‘Yurio’?” Yuri asked.

“Because my Yuuri used to call you that. I let it slip sometimes too,” Victor happily mentioned with a shrug.

“How come I get stuck with the nickname? Why doesn’t the pig get one?”

“I’m married to him?” Yuuri whispered, awestruck. “And why do I suddenly get insulted just when I wake up…”

The ruckus in the room would have annoyed any other person, but to Victor, he regained an important part of his life. He felt happier than he had ever been the past several months, and he wasn’t about to let go of anyone important ever again.

‘I’m going to have to have a long talk with these two,’ Victor thought, already looking forward to telling them of their past shenanigans and relationships.

* * *

A few more months passed, and Yuuri and Yurio both got used to their lives as part of Victor’s family. Sometimes it’s awkward for them to talk with Mila, Georgi, and Yakov, but the three of them try their best to act natural. Within those months, Yurio and Yuuri also trained themselves to fight wraiths. They retained their physical prowess from when they were normal humans, but their reflexes were powered further during their time as developing subjects. Once, they both jumped after a wraith into the other dimension, almost making Victor panic, but calmed down when they both managed to tear a distortion in space, and tumbled out from the wraiths’ world, successfully rescuing a wraith victim.

…

…

“OI KATSUDON! PAY ATTENTION!”

A young, blond man sprinted towards his partner and, using his dual short blades, sliced the shadowy figure that was about to grab his partner from behind.

“Thank you, Yurio!” Yuuri yelled as he leaped up to avoid another wraith’s grasp. With a yell, Yuuri swung his blade down, straight onto the wraith’s head, slicing the shadowy figure in half.

“I found the victim!” Yurio shouted. “Cover me.”

Yurio dashed over to the unconscious victim while Yuuri fended off any wraiths that were attempting to stop them from reaching the victim. Once Yurio had confirmed that the victim was still breathing, he signaled Yuuri to open a space back to the real world while he propped the victim up and supported him using his shoulder.

Right as Yuuri started forcing open a portal, the victim grunted and opened his eyes slightly. “Yo,” greeted Yurio. “You’ll be safe soon, okay? Just rest for now.”

The victim’s tired eyes glanced at Yurio. “Yu…ri…?” After muttering Yuri’s name, he fell back into unconsciousness.

‘I guess normal humans really can’t stay conscious in this world,’ Yurio thought.  

Yuuri came over to help Yurio support the victim, and the two young men leapt through the portal, successfully leaving the wraiths behind.

* * *

 “Good job you two,” Victor complimented as Yurio and Yuuri brought the victim in. The older man took a look at the victim and immediately recognized him. “Otabek Altin? What is he doing here?”

“You know him, Victor?” Yuuri asked as he and Yurio gently laid Otabek down on a bed.

“Yura knows him much better than I do,” Victor said.

“Me?” Yurio repeated. “Well, he did say my name when he regained consciousness for a second in the wraiths’ dimension…”

“He was practically your best friend,” Victor explained. “For now, let him rest. He’s going to need it. We can talk with him after he recovers.

* * *

 “Thank you for rescuing me, Victor,” Otabek thanked once he was well enough to speak and eat.

“I only find wraith victims. It’s Yuuri and Yura who does the heavy lifting,” Victor said.

“About Yuri…I heard he passed, but how is he still here?” Otabek asked.

“Cutting right to the chase, hm?” Victor commented. “To answer your question, Yura is…reborn, in a way.”

“I can tell that you are reluctant to tell me much,” Otabek spoke. “I understand if you do not want to reveal anything, but if it’s something about Yuri…”  

“You really were Yura’s best friend. He cared about you a lot as well. Unfortunately, I don’t wish to reveal much to you, even if Yura had the utmost trust in you.”

“May I speak with him?” Otabek asked.

“I wouldn’t mind but I warn you, he doesn’t have his past memories.”

“I see. Nevertheless, may I still speak with him?” Otabek pleaded once again.  

Victor contemplated his decision. “I was going to ask what business you had in Russia, but I guess we can put that off for now.” He stood up from the chair he was in. “I’ll tell Yura to come to your room.”

Before Victor exited the room, Otabek replied, “The reason I’m here is because I wanted to find out how wraith victims were being rescued…and I wanted to know if Yuri was really dead.”

“Oh?” Victor turned around and crossed his arms. “Is Kazakhstan having a wraith problem as well?”

Otabek nodded. “Specifically Almaty. There’s been an increase in wraith activity these past few months, and I have been hearing of wraith exterminators of sorts moving around in Russia. So I came here with the intention of asking for help.”

“Well, you’re right at their doorstep,” Victor cheerily said. “Since you are Yura’s cherished friend, I’ll lend you a hand.”

“Thank you Victor,” Otabek thanked again.

“No need to thank me,” Victor replied. “I’ll be happier if I can save more people from those creatures. Oh, and I’ll tell Yura to come here.”

With that, Victor left the room, leaving Otabek to think by himself. Some minutes later, Yuri entered the room after knocking a couple of times. “Victor said you wanted to talk to me?” Yuri asked.

Otabek nodded. “Yuri, do you really not remember who I am?”

Yuri cocked his head. “Am I supposed to?”

Otabek signaled Yuri to come closer and to sit in the chair Victor did. “We first met during a mission in Barcelona. Your family had hired me to work together with you, Victor, Georgi, Mila, and Yuuri.”

Yuri shook his head. “Sorry, I really don’t remember anything. You seem like a cool person though. I knew I had good taste in friends.”

“You are amazing as ever, Yuri Plisetsky,” Otabek complimented.

Yuri sputtered. “Uh, that was sudden. What do you mean?”

“The first time I met you, you were fearless and cunning. You did your part in the mission as if it was nothing. You hold nothing back, and always pushed forward. I thought you had the eyes of a soldier.” Yuri was caught off guard by Otabek’s constant praises and was slightly embarrassed. “And now here you are, fighting off wraiths and rescuing people, doing something no normal human can.”

“Okay, honestly, that part’s all Victor. And sorry to burst your bubble, but it’s not just me. Katsudon---er, Yuuri can do it too,” Yuri explained.

“I see,” Otabek followed. He then changed the subject. “I heard that you had died, but I didn’t want to believe it. Seeing you here now, I don’t know why there was a rumor like that in the first place.”

Yuri glanced away and avoided looking at Otabek in the eyes. “Hm, well, I’m here and kicking ass. That’s what matters.”

Otabek chuckled. “You may not have your full memories, but you’re still very…Yuri.”

Yuri comically sighed. “Do I even wanna know what you mean by that?”

“It means you are still my best friend who’s not a force to be reckoned with.”

“Hmph, good answer I guess,” Yuri accepted. “By the way, Victor told me that your hometown is starting to have a wraith problem?”

“Yes,” Otabek confirmed. “Part of the reason I came to Russia was to find the people who rescued wraith victims and ask for help.”

“You ended up at the right place then. We’re helping you whether you like it or not,” Yuri declared. He stuck out his hand and waited for a handshake. “I look forward to working with you, Otabek.”

Otabek took Yuri’s hand and grasped it in a firm handshake. “I’ll be in your care, Yuri.”

A determined spark shone in Yuri’s eyes. He jumped up from the chair and started to head out. “You should rest some more. I’ll talk to Victor and Yuuri about preparations. Get some more sleep, Otabek.” Yuri walked out the door and shut it behind him, letting Otabek get some peace and quiet.

Perhaps one day, Yuri will remember all the good times he and Otabek shared. Perhaps one day, Otabek will get a chance to get closer to Yuri again. Until that day comes, Otabek is content with working alongside Yuri to eliminate as many wraiths as possible from his hometown.

**Author's Note:**

> With this fic, I wanted to create a Victor who was so attached to his family that he would go through anything to bring them back, but also covers up his true intentions with a partial excuse of wanting to save others. ;;  
> I hope you all enjoyed reading! Please let me know what you thought of it! ^_^


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